1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to quick action fasteners; and, more particularly, to improved quick action fasteners for panels of aircraft or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Quick action fasteners are well known in the art. One such fastener is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,816 to Harbison et al. These fasteners comprise a bolt body of stepped diameters and are used in aircraft panels having holes of certain diameters. These fasteners can be shifted in the panel holes, due to their stepped diameters, to compensate for slight misalignment of the holes in an abutting panel and sub-panel.
These prior art fasteners consist of a bolt having a retaining spring adapted to retain the bolt to a panel. The bolt is adapted to be threaded to a receptacle assembly mounted to a sub-panel. When torque is applied to the bolt, it is threaded to a stud in the receptacle assembly which draws the sub-panel to the panel and locks them together. When it is desired to unlock the panel from the sub-panel, the bolt is unscrewed from engagement with the stud and will be retained to the panel when free of the stud.
The retaining spring for the foregoing prior art bolt assembly fits into a countersunk hole in the sub-panel. These springs must expand and contract about the varying diameter sections of the bolt body. This can result in wear of the springs and fatigue of the same whereby they may come off the bolt body and be sucked into the aircraft engine causing damage to the aircraft. Of course, once the spring is free of the bolt body, the bolt can vibrate out of the panel hole and also be lost and sucked into the aircraft engine.
There is thus a need for a quick action aircraft fastener assembly which can be used in preexisting aircraft panel and sub-panel holes while providing for some misalignment of the holes without danger of loss of components of the fastener assembly. There is a need for such a fastener assembly having a retainer retaining the bolt of the fastener assembly, which bolt has a shank of varying diameters, to a panel wherein the retainer does not have to expand and contract as it passes over the varying diameters of the bolt body.